Dr Rowan Williams said the refusal by some student unions to recognise evangelical Christian groups looked like a "fear of open argument".

Dr Williams said that while the views of evangelicals on the issue of homosexual sex may be "embarrassing" to liberal Christians, traditional values should not be compared to holocaust denial or racial bigotry.

As well as Exeter, the Christian Union at the University of Birmingham faced a similar suspension of a bank account and exclusion from free use of student union premises.

Similar action is also said to have been considered against Christian Unions at Edinburgh's Heriot-Watt University and some London medical schools.

The student guild at Exeter University says that the Christian Union's equal opportunities policies are being "audited".

The Christian Union says its meetings are open to all, but members are asked to sign a statement of belief in Jesus as their God and saviour and officials to sign a more comprehensive statement of belief.

Going to court is the last thing we want to do, but we really feel that our fundamental freedoms of belief, association and expression are being threatened here

A statement on the Exeter University Students Guild website said: "The premise of the situation is that students felt that as students fund our societies and as our Equal Opportunities Policy states, all activities should be open to all students.

"The Evangelical Christian Union is the only society identified that has barriers to entry - both for membership of the society and to be on the committee of the society.

"This is certainly not a debate regarding the beliefs of the society, it is one of equal opportunities."

Ben Martin, a member of the Christian Union committee in Exeter, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Going to court is the last thing we want to do, but we really feel that our fundamental freedoms of belief, association and expression are being threatened here.

"We are quite prepared to stand up for those freedoms, hence why we are going to court."

'No alternative'

Mr Martin added the list of beliefs was only necessary if a person sought to lead the group, but "anybody is free to come to any meeting".

He has described the action by the guild as a "blatant infringement of our rights".

"Their reluctance to reinstate us, has left us with no alternative," he added.